Hey IST, I want to get myself fit but I'm pretty much an introverted NEET who barely had much outside interactions.
Being self-conscious around my weight and overall body shape and decided to do something about it, before this, I tend to give myself some daily jogs and home exercises, but pretty much some of them are just helping me lose this belly fat. Now I'm planning to also grow my arm/leg muscles along with losing this fat so I went ahead and scouted some gyms. I did manage to find one, couple of basic equipment and lots of other jacked guys working out, and on a budget enough for me to go to it for like 1-3 times a week.
Even with a scheduled plan and even downloading like an app to guide me throughout the workout, I feel hesitant going inside a gym, determined yet scared. What would happen? What should I do? Should I tell the man in charge that its my first time? Is there something I should or shouldn't do? Help me out IST, how do I overcome the fear of going into a gym for the first time and how do I keep on visiting without fear.
Get a good pair of noise cancelling headphones and realize that 99% of people in the gym don't give a frick what you or others look like. If you have the cash, maybe speak to the receptionist and see if they have any decent personal trainers on hand. If not, take your time and go slowly. Try out the different machines and learn what they do by watching a couple of short youtube vids. You'll quickly notice that people in the gym are actually way friendly than other places, at least that's how it is in my region. Just make it a habit. You'll make it.
Gyms are some of the friendliest and loneliest environments there are, you'll be alri OP don't worry
gemmy
Come at night or early morning when no one is there and do your workout
Just go. You could have went instead of typing all of this shit. I know you're looking for some autistic solution other than just going but it doesn't exist. Just go. You won't die.
I'll try to take
advice and go later at night. I know I won't die, just scared of doing something stupid or something while I'm in there lol.
The gym advertised that first timers have like free guidance or trainers, which surprises me considering how cheap it is to get in. This app gave me a lot of options to which part of body I should focus on, I heard to start at like shoulders then go down from there.
>just scared of doing something stupid or something while I'm in there lol.
Just watch videos on how to do the exercises you are planning on before hand. If you are doing it completely wrong like deadlifting with bad form, most people will be happy to point it out to you and give you tips.
doing something stupid>
nothing
(as long as you don't do something overly moronic that ends up hurting you)
You just have to make yourself very familiar with the gym (layout). Let someone from the front desk or a PT or whatever show you around. Let them explain to you where everything is from from free weight area to machines and cardio, let them explain machines if you don't know how to use them, let them show you where the locker rooms are, every detail you are worried about. Don't let them put you on a program or whatever, say you've already picked a simple one that suits your goals (and actually pick one, moron).
Noted. Though they did offer a free Program, should I not take it?
True.
I'd take it tbf, maybe it's not ideal but it means you won't get paralysis by analysis, so it's one less excuse you can use. Use that for a couple of months, get familiar with the exercises and try out something new each month or so. It won't be perfect but you'll develop a lot familiarity with the equipment and the environment.
protip: if you see in that program you have to use a machine that's always occupied and don't feel like asking to work in do something else. Usually that's the case for the lat pulldown, you can do dunbbell pullovers or pullups/scapular pullups/dead hangs instead
*dumbbell
sorry bro I'm working as I type this
Thanks for the tip, I'm going to work my courage and go to the gym today, wish me luck.
I know it's going to be a slow process (maybe difficult) but I believe it will pull off, might update this on another thread if I took too long there, again, thanks.
>Thanks for the tip, I'm going to work my courage and go to the gym today, wish me luck.
Good on ya, mate. You'll be fine.
If you have any questions about correct form (how to do a certain lift or use a particular machine) don't shy away from asking someone who looks like he knows what he's doing. Most people will take it as a compliment that you thought their physique warranted asking them for advice (at the same time though, don't treat whatever they say as gospel truth - you can get plenty big lifting badly, it'll just take longer and expose you to greater risk of injury).
Also, make sure you're getting enough sleep and enough protein, and the right amount of calories.
Track your weight and track your lifts so you have an objective measure of whether what you're doing is working.
OP here, just finished my first workout at the gym. I wanna share my story on how it went.
Went to the gym and straight to the Front Desk, paying the entry fee and all that, I didn't ask at first what to do yet, I merely looked around the gym, seeing what others do and how they use the machines.
It was then I met a classmate of mine back in high school, I was quite surprised seeing here and how well built he became since I last saw him. We gave a fist bump and maybe I could ask him where to begin.
But he ended up telling me to the front desk, so which I did. So this PT cane in and showed the ropes giving some quick small warmups to get my blood vessels running (as he explained).
Some back stretching here and there with this rod, and some quick curls with some light dumbbells.
After that, he showed me the first machine I'm working on, something a Seated Chest Fly. Apparently, they suggested focusing on the upper torso first as a beginner.
Got to admit, my form was a bit clumsy, earning a few chuckles from the PT but everyone didn't seem to mind at all, they knew it's my first time and they seemed chill.
3 sets of 12 reps, pretty simple and not that hard as I start on 20kg. I didn't feel much, probably due to bad form, but it was at the next workout, a Lat Pulldown, is when I felt something coming from my arms and chest.
Then yeah the Bicep Curl which PT needed to hold me in form since I couldn't keep my arm still and I looked weird trying to squat a bit for it.
Simple 3 sets then he gave me some dumbbells do a Lateral Raise, and its been a while holding them since last I held them was when I was a kid and uncles had them lying around the basement.
sounds good, did you get a program? Was it as scary as you thought it would be?
It wasn't actually scary, probably since it didn't have much people and the PT was the same age as I am.
Though I was nervous to the whole thing, but I admire how PT demonstrated how to do it first before letting me do it next.
Heh, he had to help me stay in form in that one machine but pretty much its chill berween us.
Haha yeah I did feel the pain, no pain no gain as they say.
You just go there.
Nobody cares about you OP. That's either a whitepill or a blackpill depending on how you look at it.
i started gym this week on monday op
just go there
feel that PAIN, STRUGGLE, SUFFERING
PAIN = SUCCESS
Simple
>PAIN = SUCCESS
Mostly true but if you feel any lingering pain (not DOMS) or bad joint pain it's time to have a think and see wtf is going on. Distinguishing the different kinds of pain is a skill on its own and it will come naturally fairly soon.
Is like a muscle pain a good pain? I don't feel much any other pain than that.
And to finish it off was a Leg Extension and frickkk did I really feel my thighs fricking burning.
Like holy shit, the first set or even the first few reps and I can feel it heating up therd. I thought the constant morning jogs would negate the pain, but this was something lol.
not an excuse to stop lifting btw, just an opportunity to tailor the exercises to your own needs
very good, you'll notice if something is wrong no worries
Pretty much my next visit, I can either be on my own or ask the Front Desk for a guide.
Ig there wasn't a program? PT told me that this is how they thought him too. Do you think you could help me around this?
Oh yeah forgot to say, I forgot to weigh myself so I have no idea how much I burned, oh well, maybe next visit.
Do you have a friend who would go with you? Otherwise, commit to spend 10 minutes inside the gym doing whatever the hell you want. Then increase that duration each time you go. You’ll get curious about the equipment and start using it after a while